We just purchased a bunch of soccer balls from the Spaulding Factory outlet in Chicopee, MA. We only paid $2.50 each - that is not a typo. Apparently they are left over from some sort of promotion. Here is the info I have:
The Spalding Factory Outlet, 521 Meadow Street, Chicopee, MA 01013
(1.413.322.2056) has 3,000 5 soccer balls available at a cost of $2.50 per
ball. These are stitched balls manufactured in Pakistan and have latex
bladders. They are 28 grams heavier than the BOM Puma ball and are not
guaranteed to conform to the International Performance Specifications but
appear to be a low cost alternative which is readily available. The inflation nipple is not
recessed as well as the BOM ball and the surface finish is slightly
smoother. Please use your own judgement whether these balls will meet your
needs.
Spauding told us they would ship just about anywhere.
Please remember that while they may be a size 5 they are not the same as the balls (Puma) that FIRST is using. That may cause you a problem because of the ball surface.
*Originally posted by Mike Martus *
**All soccer balls are not equal. **
True, but they are close. Unless your robot requires exact tolerances (big no-no), a ball that is a little off spec shouldn’t matter. In any case, they should be closer to spec than the eggs we’ve used in past years.
That’s not necessarily true… different companies use different pressures…if they want to be considered a FIFA approved ball it must be within certain pressure limits and diameters…but FIFA is really lenient on the rules…as long as it comes withing about 6-8 PSI well its ok…(thats a rough estimate)
Basically what im trying to say is that maybe the ball you bought recommends a higher or lower PSI then what FIRST’s balls are using…but you must be careful because the ball may not work right if you try to adjust the PSI to FIRST specs…If its not made for FIRST specs…practice runs with your robot may not be completely accurate
Ohby the way, FIFA is the organization that runs professional soccer all over the globe
